KEY HIGHLIGHTS
• The trained volunteers known as 'Ganga Prahris' will take the tourists to these sites for boat rides to view the mammal
• As of now, there are 36 dolphins in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary that comprises of five district s include Bijnor, Amroha, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Hapur.
Bijnor: In a move aimed at preserving the ecology and promoting tourism, the National Mision for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has launched 'Dolphin Jalaj Safari' at six places across the country. These places include Bijnor, Prayagraj Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, while Kahalgaon in Bihar and Bandel in West Bengal.
In UP's Bijnor, the dolphin safari has been opened at Haiderpur Wetland in Ganga. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. The launch of the safari coincided with the Gangetic Dolphin Day which falls on October 5.
According to a report in Times of India, the trained volunteers known as 'Ganga Prahris' will take the tourists to these sites for boat rides to view the mammal. Apart from dolphins, tourists are also promised sightings of gharials found in good numbers in the regions.
"This a one-of-its-kind move to integrate Ganga conservation and Gangetic dolphins with local livelihoods which is in line with the concept of Arth Ganga," the report quoted Rajeev Ranjan Mishra, NMCG director general.
A new campaign called 'My Ganga My Dolphin' was also launched on this occasion in a move aimed at conducting a dolphin census in a 250-km stretch from Bijnor to Narora in Bulandshahr.
As of now, there are 36 dolphins in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary that comprises of five districts include Bijnor, Amroha, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Hapur.
On August 15 this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced 'Project Dolphin' to give a stronger impetus for the conservation of the species in the lines of Project Tiger and Project Elephant.
The project was meant to address conservation concerns and empower the stakeholders like the river-dependent population in reducing the river pollution and allowing sustainable fishery.
The Gangetic River Dolphin is found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli River system of India, Nepal and Bangladesh.